


Kith and kin

by musterings



Series: Hug Ignis Week 2019 [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: A whole lotta hugs, Established Relationship, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Gatherings, Found Family, Gen, Hugs, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 14:36:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20950013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musterings/pseuds/musterings
Summary: Ignis brings Gladio home to meet his extended family.Allof his extended family.Written for Hug Ignis Week, Day 1. Prompt: Hugs; Family and friends.





	Kith and kin

Like all things involving Ignis, the drive up to House Scientia’s annual get together included a thorough briefing on their drive out of the city centre. This included not only a rundown on any differences in Tenebraean and Lucian etiquette, but also a complicated mental image Gladio had to conjure of House Scientia’s family tree in his head alongside the winding roads he already had to navigate as they drove out of the city centre.

For one thing, this was not _ the _ same uncle whom Ignis had lived with in the city centre in his teens and onwards until he moved out, but he’ll definitely be there, and Gladio’s relieved there’s at least _ one _person he’ll know there apart from Ignis. 

No, the owners of the country home they had driven out to this pleasant spring’s day, were Ignis’s Aunt Vita and her husband Oratio, an older couple, having had the experience with their own children, had volunteered to raise him from childhood back when they lived in the city themselves. Once their own children had grown up and moved out of the family home, and Ignis was fast settling into his role within the Citadel, his aunt and uncle moved out of the centre prior to their retirement, and Ignis then moved in with his Uncle Episcopus, who worked for the Citadel and lived in within the city centre.

House Scientia originated from a small community of Tenebraeans from another side of Ignis’s family who had fled the country centuries ago after growing dissatisfied with the Empire’s occupation, settling their roots in Insomnia and growing their political and administrative involvement with the Royal Family over several decades until the Wall went up. 

But that was the easy stuff, the information Gladio’s known about Ignis since before they even started dating.

“So Old Aunt Adelhaid is married to Uncle Bardus?” asked Gladio, his eyes trained on the stoplights.

Ignis scoffed, glancing at him over the map on his phone.

“Don’t even imply such a thing around either of them if you want my uncle’s home _ and _Uncle Bardus intact by the end of the day.”

Pressing on the acceleration pedal as the light went green, Gladio whistled.

“What did he do to deserve that?” asked Gladio.

“Trust me, you wouldn’t want to know.”

They pulled up to a driveway outside a modest country home, the sounds of screaming children and animated chatter spilling from inside.

They took out the canvas bags holding the numerous plastic containers of pastries Ignis had made for the occasion from their car, and Gladio had taken all four bags to carry—“You have the big, strong arms after all,” Ignis had crooned as he shut the door—and Ignis lead them both up to the front porch, and in front of a white timber door. Ignis pressed on the doorbell.

The door swung open to an older woman a head shorter than Ignis, her blonde hair piled on her head in a bun streaked with gray.

“Ignis, my dear, I’m so delighted you could come!” she enveloped Ignis in a tight embrace, “Do come in!”

Ignis flashed Gladio a reassuring smile over her shoulder.

“Aunt Vita, please, the pleasure is all mine,” said Ignis, as he faced an onslaught of his aunt’s kisses on either side of his cheeks, only given reprieve when she decided to step back and regard Ignis from head to toe.

“Oh look at you, how you’ve grown so much!”

“I saw you last year Aunt Vita,” said Ignis with a smile,

“You children nowadays always grow so fast, goodness me, I swear it is _ something _ in the food they serve out there in the city,” she simpered. She took one more glance at Ignis, before Gladio caught her eye, his arms bulging with the bags in his hands. Her eyes scanned over Gladio’s full figure, and she exchanged a knowing smile with Ignis.

“And this must be—” 

“Gladiolus,” said Gladio with a sheepish grin, “But you can call me Gladio.”

The bags still in his hands, Vita threw her arms around’s Gladio’s shoulders, making him crane into down into her hug, and by the gods, the smaller woman could _ hug _, before placing a kiss on either of Gladio’s cheeks, just as she did with Ignis.

“We are so delighted you two could make it, Ignis has told us so much about you, you are as _ handsome _ as he says— Oh! There’s my husband,” she gestured at a portly man, who waddled over with a wide grin.

“Ignis!” the man exclaimed. And just like Aunt Vita, he trapped Ignis in what looked like a bone crushing hug, followed by a number of strong pats to his back, “It’s been so long boy!”

“Uncle Oratio,” said Ignis, more for Gladio than for either of them, “It’s good to see you.”

“Be a dear and help Gladiolus here with the food,” said Aunt Vita as they walked down the corridor from the front door.

“Gladiolus!” Uncle Oratio bellowed next, and he had squeezed Gladio almost as tight as he did Ignis, and even Gladio had to admire how much strength the man held behind his pudge, but what was more surprising were the three kisses on his cheeks that followed, “We’ve been telling Ignis for ages now to bring you home.”

_Trust me,_ _I have too_, Gladio would’ve said with a wry wink at his boyfriend, but he reined it in the presence of older company.

“ Iggy here can be shy when he wants to be,” said Gladio instead, handing two bags over to the older man.

“How he managed to land a man like you, I will never know, I mean he’s a wonderful boy, but let me tell you Gladiolus—” she lead them to the kitchen, where she helped Gladio and her husband lay out the containers on the kitchen counters, “The poor boy always used to write to me, telling me all about this very _ dashing _ boy that he couldn’t find his nerves to talk to—”

Ignis cleared his throat, cutting off Aunt Vita’s recollection despite the eager smile and nods that Gladio goaded her on with, “Is it alright if we left the food here? There’s still so many people Gladio has yet to meet.”

“Oh please do love, everyone’s been asking about you both all morning, you trot along now and I’ll see you out there with everyone else, the girls can help me instead.”

Ignis took Gladio by the wrist, leading him to the growing sounds of chatter from the other end of the corridor.

“Wait, how long were you writing to your aunt about me for?” said Gladio with an amused smile.

“Details, details,” said Ignis, his cheeks emanating a pink glow.

Gladio opened his mouth to press further, but as they crossed the threshold into a bright sun lit dining room, another chorus of Ignis’s name cut him off.

“It is so good to see you Ignis!” said one woman, laying down the plates in her arms on the table to assault Ignis with a hug, “You’ve gotten so tall dearie,” exclaimed the other.

“My cousins,” said Ignis as a response to Gladio’s curiously raised brow, he regarded the woman with the bob of tawny curls with a nod, "Ira," and then the woman with the long wavy hair, “Medela, this is Gladiolus.”

“Gladio,” said Gladio with a friendly smile and a nod of his own.

Ira had stretched out her arms in a wide hug first, while Medela glanced at Ignis, who rolled his eyes back at her as she pointed at Gladio with wide eyes and her mouth agape, unaware Gladio could see their wordless exchange.

Medela’s hug was even snugger than her father’s and her sister’s, really forcing the air out of Gladio’s lungs. Pulling back, she kept her hands on Gladio’s arms as he looked Gladio up and down much like her mother did. 

“Ignis wasn’t lying about how _ gorgeous _ you are,”

“Iggy says I’m gorgeous?” said Gladio with a smirk at a bright red Ignis.

“Not in so many words no,” Ignis huffed,

“We’d always made sure to call him regularly, living on his own made us worry for the first few months—” Ira began with a hint of mischief in her smile,

“And he always used to talk about—” Medela interrupted,

“Apart from all his Princely work, that is—”

“The sweetest, most _ handsomest _ guy—” 

“Now that is clearly just made up,” Ignis cut in, “I wouldn’t be caught dead using two superlatives in one sentence.”

“I’m just saying, that’s how handsome he said you were dear, he _ always _ used to pretend you annoyed him so much, but then eventually, he’d say how annoyed he was he got so _ tongue-tied _ around—”

“Great Aunt Adelhaid!” Ignis blurted out with great relief, tugging at an amused Gladio by the wrist once more, “Come now Gladio.”

Ignis steered him into the living room next, where Ignis’s more elderly relatives sat and chattered about times gone by, and as before, they showered Ignis with their hugs and successive kisses, fondly slapping his cheeks with their wrinkled hands, gushing with unbridled admiration for how much he’s grown, and was this _ the _ Boyfriend Ignis had promised all month whom he would introduce to everybody?

The rest tittered about Gladio, their powdery perfume overpowering Gladio’s nostrils as they squeezed at his biceps with glee, while Ignis’s Great Aunt Adelhaid sat in one armchair, her back ramrod straight, her face more like a deep frown carved within stone, her bony hands perched over the top of an ornate cane.

“Amicitia you say?” she squawked, “A bunch of rapscallions the men are from that family.”

“Is that so Nana?” asked Ignis, his voice strained, as Gladio suppressed a laugh.

“An Amicitia almost married into this family did you know that?” Great Aunt Adelhaid spat out, “I put an end to that very quickly, I see no good in bringing in those glorified muscleheads anywhere near this family—”

“That is a lovely story Nana,” said Ignis, avoiding the smug grin on Gladio’s face, “If you’ll excuse us, Gladio has yet to meet everyone out in the garden—”

“—don’t get me started on the King’s current Shield, an absolute _ fopdoodle _ that Clarus Amicitia was! Why, I would have beaten him away with my cane here, but every good Scientia lady knew then to keep away him, that right _ philanderer _, he’s lucky that wife of his finally made an honest man out of him—”

Ignis made a strangled noise, gripping Gladio’s wrist again to pull him back into the empty corridor, to make their way back to the dining room. 

“My deepest apologies Gladio, I never realised Aunt Adel had such a vendetta for—”

“What, that? That was hilarious,” chuckled Gladio with a dismissive flap of his hand, “What the hell is a _ fopdoodle _ anyway?”

“Not your father, I assure you,” said Ignis apologetically. Cupping Gladio’s face by the cheeks with his hands, he pressed a kiss to his lips, “You’re doing wonderfully by the way.”

“It’s no effort at all, your family’s great,” said Gladio. He wrapped his arms behind Ignis’s waist, holding him close for another kiss, “You’ve met _ my _ extended family, now _ that _ deserved a commendation.”

“I suppose not everyone’s prepared for a family gathering that ends with a wrestle in the back garden.”

“It’s a good thing your Nana whacked away my musclehead ancestors huh?” Gladio grinned. He kissed Ignis again, before pulling away when the realisation dawned on him, “We could’ve been _ related _.”

“Oh don’t listen to her,” said Ignis with a laugh before pulling Gladio down by the neck for another kiss.

“Ignis there you— Oh! I’m sorry,” said Ira, just as Ignis scrambled to extricate himself from Gladio’s arms, “I need a little help with something,” she gestured at a crying bundle in her arms, “Could you hold on to the little darling here for a bit? I have to get help mum with setting the rest of the food out.”

“Not a problem Ira.”

With the gurgling bundle in his arms, Ignis gave Gladio another apologetic smile, and Gladio couldn’t help but respond with a wide grin. Ignis was always in his element within the dark looming walls of the Citadel, surrounded by greying men in stuffy suits and robes, his expression set in stern determination as he talked down politicians with decades of experience on him in Council rooms. This was a completely different side to Ignis altogether.

“Go have something to eat,” said Ignis, his voice lowered as he bounced the baby in his arms, “I’ll be back to join you in a bit.”

After a quick peck to Ignis’s cheek, Gladio returned to the dining room, where the long table was now covered with trays and plates of food, surrounded by Ignis’s relatives, milling about to stack food on their own plates.

Picking out food from the cuisine offered was not a challenge at all, as Scientias volunteered their top choices, tutting about and shovelling food on to Gladio plate—and Gladio was certain each relative only pointed out the food _ they _ made—whilst making sure to try at least one or two of Ignis’s pastries. After reaching the end of the table with an overflowing plastic plate, Gladio made his way through Ignis’s relatives with polite smiles and nods, before standing by the window to pick at his food with a fork.

“The Scientias sure know how to throw a party huh?” said a familiar voice.

_ No. _

Gladio slowly turned to his left, where a young man clad in black sat in one of Vita’s rustic white dining chairs.

“What are you doing here Noct,” said Gladio.

“The Scientias always invite their family and friends for their annual get together. Obviously, _ I’m _family,” said Noctis, before spearing a sausage to hold up to his mouth, “But I didn’t know Iggy invited you.”

“How’d you even get here?” said Gladio, deliberately ignoring that last comment.

“Good seeing you Amicitia,” said another familiar voice. To the right of the tall windows, Cor stood out of place in his own all black get up amongst the pastel walls and the dining room’s homely decor, a plastic plate in one hand, and a fork in the other, “The Scientias know how to put together a spread.”

“You think the cooking thing runs in the family?” Noct said, to which Cor only shrugged. He turned back to Gladio, “Dad normally comes to these things, but since he got caught up, he asked me to go alone instead. Well not alone, ‘cos Specs is here with me, but also ‘cause I brought Prompto,” said Noctis with a shrug.

“You brought Prompto,” said Gladio flatly.

“Hey big guy!” piped yet another familiar voice, from a figure that hadn’t been there just a moment ago.

“Hey Prompto,” said Gladio, suddenly exhausted, “How long have you three been there?”

“Like, ten minutes ago?” said Prompto, moving food from his plate to Noctis’s, “What a party huh?”

Noctis and Cor both agreed with a nod.

It’s not that Ignis and Gladio wanted to keep their relationship a secret from Noctis and Prompto indefinitely. It’s not that they wanted to keep their relationship a secret full stop. But considering the nature of their jobs, both could not ignore that rare possibility that their relationship wouldn’t work out, and the consequences that would arise from such a scenario, and they took to their budding feelings and the development it lead to with equal parts excitement and great caution.

Hell, it took a few months of sleepless nights, mostly for Gladio, before Ignis even agreed to call their relationship what it was. Ill at ease about tipping the delicate balance in their group of friends, they informed only the King and his Shield of their relationship and had planned to tell Noctis and Prompto next, soon after this party even, once they had tested the waters with their own families. At least in Ignis’s case, they weren’t as deeply involved with his line of work as Noctis and Prompto were, and the majority of them were distant enough, emotionally and physically, that he could handle any fallout.

“So did you see him yet?” said Noctis.

“See who?” asked Gladio.

“I hear Iggy’s brought his new boyfriend along and he wants to introduce him to everyone,” said Noctis.

“Gladio!” Ignis called out from behind him, “Uncle Episcopus is here if you wanted to—” he cut himself short and his face drained of colour when he saw Noctis’s casual wave, “_ Noct— _ His Majesty said the two of you had plans—”

“Well we did, ‘til he got caught up with work, and he said,” Noctis glared at Ignis over his plastic plate— “And I quote—” 

“—_ It’ll be a shame to miss not only our fishing trip, but the Scientias’ annual get together as well,” Noctis’s father had said with a deep sigh, “He was so looking forward to introducing his—” He scanned over the document on his desk and his eyebrows jumped, as if he had remembered something, and he picked up his pen—“Ah, yes, I had to do that next did I?” _

_ “Introduce who?” Noctis asked from the couch in his father’s study, where he had been busying himself with a phone game. _

_ Regis had paused with what he was writing, but continued to stare down at his document. _

_ “Why don’t you go in my stead?” Regis had asked. _

“And here we are,” said Noctis, waving his fork with a flourish.

“_ We _?” asked Ignis,

“Hey Iggy!” chirped Prompto from near a serving tray, a pair of tongs in his hand.

Ignis stared hopelessly at Gladio who could only shrug, before turning back to Noctis.

“How did you two even get here?” 

“Ignis,” Cor nodded from the corner with his plastic plate.

“Great,” said Ignis, “You may as well have brought the entire Citadel.”

“Anyway, so where’s this new boyfriend you were gonna introduce to Dad but not your best friends huh?”

“Gladiolus!” someone shouted from behind Gladio and Ignis, as if the dining room wasn’t packed with enough people already. Uncle Episcopus, whom all the boys were familiar with, gripped Gladio’s free hand in a firm handshake, before tugging him closer for a one-armed hug, “The man of the hour. I know I say this often enough, but I trust you’ve been taking good care of my nephew here?”

“Why would the big guy take care of Iggy?” said Prompto, wrinkling his nose at a sausage on his fork, “Normally it’s the other way around.”

“_ Unless _ —” said Noctis, “You’re kidding,” Noctis’s head whipped from Gladio to Ignis, who only avoided his gaze, “Wait, is _ that _ why Gladio’s here?”

“Took you long enough,” said Cor. 

“Wait, how did _ you _ know?” asked Noctis.

“Who do you think Gladiolus was pining over whenever he was bemoaning his love life in our joint training sessions?” said Cor as he collected the remaining crumbs off his plate with his fork. 

Noctis pulled a face like he had eaten all the vegetables he had sequestered to one side of his plate in one go, while he made a a wordless grunt that sounded almost like “I dunno.”

“You were pining for me?” Ignis asked Gladio with a single cocked brow.

Now it was Gladio’s turn to squeeze Ignis’s wrist, his ears burning at the sight of Ignis’s smile, “I got more people to meet remember?”

“I’ll talk to you two later,” said Ignis, narrowing his eyes at the mischief in Noctis’s smirk.

Fortunately Ignis chose not to poke about Gladio’s late night training room consultations with Cor and Noctis any further. Ignis lead Gladio out into the garden where more distant aunts and uncles greeted both men with enthusiastic hugs, and toddlers’ slobbered kisses on Gladio’s jaw—their thanks, for “_ Uncle Gwadiwo _” lifting them up high as he could hold them, because that could possibly be the only meaning of their grabby hands and their gibberish—lipstick stains on their cheeks from more elderly ladies, and of course, more open ogling from almost all of Ignis’s relatives. More out of curiosity than anything, and Gladio could’ve sworn the slap on Ignis’s shoulder from Uncle Bardus was one of triumph when Ignis said the word “boyfriend.”

Noctis gorged himself on Tenebraean pastries and chatted with old men his father’s age about the state of Insomnia’s immigration policies and how Lady Lunafreya was faring. Prompto took pictures of and with Ignis’s relatives, whilst showing toddlers the what-for in various outdoor games, and Cor joined them in the garden to suffer the forward comments and compliments of Ignis's elderly aunts in silence. 

An afternoon of raucous games in the garden crawled into the evening, the lights woven amongst the buntings glimmered in the spring evening air, and alcohol replaced the flavoured juices in their plastic cups. 

Guests broke out into jaunty songs of old, with only the sound of their hands clapping against their knees to guide them home. Children nodded off on their parents’ laps even amongst the ruckus, and soon, in groups of two or three or five Scientias, they would declare with disappointment that it was time for them to leave.

Ignis, ever the gracious host, even when he _ wasn’t _ the evening’s host, saw them off at the front door, while Gladio volunteered to hang back in the garden to help his aunt and uncle pull down the buntings, and bring in any food and waste from outside.

“Thank you Gladiolus,” Aunt Vita said as Gladio dragged in two bags of rubbish, her own arms occupied with stacks of unused plates and cups, “I can’t say so enough how wonderful it is Ignis has found someone like you.”

“He didn’t really have to look far,” said Gladio with a chuckle.

“I’m quite serious!” Vita threw her hands up in the air before she took her pots and pans off the stove to run under a stream of hot water under the tap, “He does so much for others as it is. Something about you tells me he’ll be taken care of.”

“Not that Iggy needs—" Gladio began. 

“—Not that he _ needs _ to be taken care of I know, but sure as I am standing here, he _ deserves _ it. I’m sure you know this almost as well I do, Ignis never asks for help when he should,” 

“That’s exactly what I always say!”

“Even as a child he’d make himself scarce, like he was just an obligation for my husband and me, always going on about how he’d pay me back one day despite how clear I made it to him that he’s just as much part of our family as my own daughters are,” Vita sighed, her gaze solemn down at one pot in her hand. She added after a pregnant pause, “Ignis grew up too quick.”

Gladio stayed quiet. 

“I’m sure you know of his parents,” she continued.

“Yeah. He’s told me about them, “ said Gladio. As a child he knew what circumstances Ignis came from thanks to the gossip around the Citadel, but it was a long time before he had heard it from Ignis himself. They were laid out on Ignis’s couch, the other man lying almost on top of him, bare to each other and to the world but the sheet that covered them. 

Ignis was only three or four at the time when his parents died, and was passed around the hands different relatives in Tenebrae, one of whom was on the verge of giving him up to foster care, unable to care for a sudden addition of a child to their household. Vita and Oratio’s own children had been in their teens already, and they were eager to have a child in their house again, unable to bear a son themselves. There couldn’t have been a better arrangement for him. 

Gladio himself had experienced loss young with his mother’s passing, but at least he had his father and Iris. He couldn’t imagine what those first few years would’ve been for Ignis, his sense of home transient, with a constant unspoken reminder of being a burden looming over a head that was yet to fill itself with the genius it brimmed with now.

After a long moment, Vita sighed again and smiled up at Gladio, her eyes wistful.

“I’m very happy to see he’s found his own family outside of us as well.”

Somewhere down the corridor there was a loud crash, followed by a yelp from Prompto and a laugh from Noctis. 

“_We’re okay,_” yelled Ignis from down the corridor, “_Prompto just dropped a plate,” _

“We’ll _ all _ take care of him,” said Gladio, a hand covering his mouth as he stifled a laugh.

“I had no doubt you or your friends will, but it puts my soul at ease to hear it,” Vita replied, “We love that boy dearly.”

The hubbub at the outside the kitchen began to thin, and Ignis was only just audible. His words weren’t comprehensible over the din of the remaining guests, but his tone was stern, no doubt commanding Noctis and Prompto make themselves useful while they hung around the dining room.

“I do too,” said Gladio.

Vita’s smile was wide and warm, “That’s all I needed to hear.”

* * *

Once Vita had shooed him away and swatted away his offers to help wash up, insisting that he got going soon so he wasn’t caught driving too late at night, Gladio rejoined Ignis by the foyer with his cousins.

Spotting Gladio, they bid their goodnights, much like they first met. 

“It was so wonderful to finally meet you,” Ira had said in Gladio’s ear in the midst of a bone crushing hug, and Gladio smiled to himself when she added, much quieter, “Take good care of him,” before embracing Ignis next, cheeks pressed together with promises of next time. She filed out of the door with a kiss blown at Ignis, with her husband in tow and her baby finally quiet in her arms.

Behind her, Noctis and Prompto followed and halted in front of Ignis—Noctis with his arms crossed, as if waiting for answers, and Prompto with the satisfied grin of someone who was well-fed and had won far too many games against children a quarter his age, while Cor loomed behind them.

“Noct,” said Ignis, “We’ll speak in the morning.”

With a nod, Noctis glanced at his feet, and looked as if he would turn to leave.

He tugged Ignis into a tight hug, muttering something inaudible in Ignis’s ear, and Prompto jumped in to wrap his arms around both of them.

Ignis pulled away with a smile, which Noctis returned with one of his own, before giving Gladio a blank stare.

“Do I get a hug?” said Gladio with a smirk.

“Yep!” Prompto exclaimed, launching himself to squeeze his arms around Gladio’s shoulders, “I’m so happy for you guys!” he said, with a sharp slap to Gladio’s back with every word.

After Prompto’s enthusiastic hug released Gladio from its bony clutches, the wind was knocked out of Gladio’s gut as Noctis all but wrapped his arms around Gladio’s waist like a vice, while Ignis and Prompto watched in amusement.

“I’m happy for you guys, really,” muttered Noctis, “But—”

“I’ll take care of him, I know,” said Gladio,

“I know you will. But don’t you dare hurt him,” said Noctis, his gaze hard up Gladio, “You know what you’re up against if you do.”

“Of course I do. I trained you.”

"Not just me big guy, Specs'll eat you alive," finally letting go of Gladio, Noctis punched him lightly by the bicep. He added with a scoff, “You'd be no good to me then, so make him happy,” 

“I know,” said Gladio, and finally, Noctis gave him a sincere smile, before stalking over beside Prompto.

“Gladiolus. Ignis,” said Cor, with a nod for them each, "It has been a lovely evening."

“C’mere, might as well,” said Gladio, pulling a wide-eyed Cor into a one armed hug, and releasing him to let Ignis do the same.

The three bid their goodnights, with Cor promising to let Gladio and Ignis know when the Prince and his friend have been deposited home safely, and when the front door had shut behind them, only then was the silence of the once bustling home apparent to the last of House Scientia’s guests. Uncle Oratio was outside, finishing up with putting away the remaining chairs in the garden, while Aunt Vita could be heard humming along as she packed food away in the kitchen.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay and help?” said Gladio.

“We’ll be fine,” said Ignis, “Are _ you _ sure you didn’t want to stay the night? The spare bedroom has room for two, and it’s a long drive back to your apartment.”

“I don’t think I can deal with the looks they’ll give me the next morning if we so much as shared a room together,” said Gladio with a sly grin, “Besides, it looks like you want some time alone with them.”

"They've done so much for me," Ignis smiled, his gaze soft as he glanced at the corridor that lead to the kitchen, "And yet it’s not often I’ve made the time to see them.”

"That's why I've been so generous to grant them your presence for the night," Gladio spread his arms wide, wrapping them around Ignis’s waist to hold him snug against his chest, while Ignis wrapped his arms around his shoulders. It would be his last Scientia hug for the evening, and he was sure to make this one count.

"I'll make sure to let them know of your generosity then," said Ignis, "They would probably want to thank you."

“Probably with more of their hugs hey?” said Gladio, squeezing his arms around Ignis tighter as he perched his chin on top of Ignis’s head, "I didn't know the Scientias were a family of huggers."

“You fit right in,” said Ignis with a chuckle into Gladio’s neck.

“Does this mean I’m officially part of the family?”

“As official as it can get, until—” Ignis pulled back, but stayed encircled in Gladio’s arms as he ran the back of his fingers against Gladio’s jaw, “Until you _ officially _ join, that is.”

There was a flutter in Gladio’s chest as he considered the meaning behind so little words, the mischief in Ignis’s smile making him hold Ignis closer to him once more.

“I don’t really think Great Aunt Adelhaid would like that,” chuckled Gladio.

“We can prove her wrong yet,” said Ignis. He rest his arms on Gladio’s shoulders, and pressed his lips against his, “Drive safe. I’ll see my_ rapscallion _tomorrow morning.”

Gladio laughed, pulling Ignis closer to him for another parting kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> this was also partly inspired by a kink meme prompt i could not find, where it was basically like "give ignis a family because he never seems to have one in fic"
> 
> i couldn't find the prompt, so I tried my own take on it!!


End file.
